How Doubting Witnesses Can Fade & Avoid Shunning

Life & healing after leaving the Jehovah’s Witnesses…

25 August 2009

5 Comments
Author: Moxie
Tags: JW Fading, JW Shunning

One of my favorite bloggers, Isaac J. Harris (The Atheist Geek), has recently written an article called, “Jehovah’s Witness To Atheist: How Doubting Witnesses Can Fade, Avoid Shunning”, which was published another favorite blogger’s website: Austin Cline for About.com.

I wanted to share it with you here because the article provides a valuable list of to-do items for anyone (Atheist or not), who is thinking of leaving the Watchtower Society of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I believe this advice applies to anyone who has found that they do not believe the teachings of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and wants to leave without suffering shunning by family members and friends.

In this article, Mr. Harris goes into depth discussing the following items:

Seek advice from those who’ve done it.
Have a plan.
Have excuses ready and cover your tracks.
Skim the Watchtower’s literature for upcoming discussions about apostates or shepherding calls.
Make yourself hard to reach.
Move to another congregation.
Be wary of persistent Witnesses.
Make new friends.

Of course, every situation is unique and these tips will not always prevent shunning. They can however, protect you from harassment and emotional abuse during your exit process.

Read the full article here: http://atheism.about.com/od/jehovahswitnesses/a/HowToFade.htm

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5 Comments »

IsaacJ said:

“In this article, Mr. Harris goes into depth discussing the following items:”

Moxy, just so you know, you can always call me Isaac.

# 26 August 2009 at 1:38 pm

Moxie (author) said:

@Isaac… well now I know

Great article!

# 26 August 2009 at 1:47 pm

Gilbert said:

Why fade? You’ll just make life harder for you. Just do a disappearing act away from the JWs you know! Without a trace. They can’t disfellowship an MIA.

# 30 August 2009 at 9:39 am

Marcus said:

MIA can still get you disfellowshipped, especially if they find you doing anything remotely un-witness like.

People are disfellowshipped in absentia every day.

# 29 September 2009 at 6:18 am

Milette said:

I say good thing if you just fade, and then never look back. I believe one shouldn’t even letter write to disassociate as no adult needs to excuse them selves out of anything they no longer wish to do/practice. What is this, a company that pays you for a service??? If you have faded and gone MIA, then that means no contact w/JW is important to you nor should be. And if no contact, why would one care if they disfellowship you. There Is a saying I love and use often “what others think of me is none of my business”…
Of course, if you are missing your family because of this separation from the JW, then I can understand. My heart goes out to them…but friends. Please, why would you want to associate with people who don’t want you, just the way you are. In life we need to keep on changing and embracing change. If you are no longer a JW, make new friends, join, go out after work w/collegues (Now you can with out feeling guilty)… You’ll be fine…. And if they come knocking looking for you, be nice and tell them with a smile… what ever I am doing at the moment is what I am going to continue doing… Tomorrow I just don’t know” if they say something further… you say “ I am sorry, I don’t accustom to repeat myself , this conversation is over!!!” AND THEN CHANGE THE SUBJECT.. RAINY DAY HA… I herd tomorrow will be nice…. (never invite them in, and right after the change of subject say goodbye have a wonderful time.
One thing you need to understand, once you leave the JW they go from being friends to being acquaintances. Treat them as such.

# 31 October 2009 at 8:50 am